Narromine Shire Council general manager Jane Redden and mayor Cr Ewen Jones took the opportunity to raise the demise of regional taxi services with the NSW Government last week, when they met with the NSW Minister for Regional Transport, Jenny Aitchison MP.

The meeting, which took place on Friday, March 27, at Parliament House, was organised by mayor Jones to discuss the prohibitively high costs to register and insure taxis, which have left the bulk of western and far west NSW without any taxi services.

West of Dubbo, only one taxi service is still running and that is in Condobolin, mayor Jones said.

“The taxi service in Mudgee has recently advised that it will be closing. Temora no longer has a taxi service either,” he added.

Mayor Jones said the NSW Government needs to review these high costs and reduce them to the same amount as rideshare operators, which would allow for a more level playing field.

Mayor Jones advised Minister Aitchison that drink driving offences in the Narromine local government area have increased since the local taxi service closed.

“This could add to the road toll, as people have no Plan B as such. Drivers should never take the risk of drink driving, but unfortunately, they sometimes do when no taxi or Uber service is available,” the mayor said.

Minister Aitchison told the Narromine delegation that the funds from green slips – one of the biggest costs for taxi drivers – allegedly goes into an area within the NSW Government covered by another Minister, he said.

“Minister Aitchison said she will speak to the other Minister, and suggested we work with the NSW Taxi Council to move forward with this matter.”

The mayor believes Minister Aitchison will follow this important issue, which has been supported by the Alliance of Western Councils (NSW) and the Country Mayors Association of NSW Inc.